How to install a new seat cover

ATV seats come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common—they are always used every time you ride your machine. While some riders don’t spend much time thinking about how important a seat is, others know when they should consider upgrading their seat cover to one that is more durable and even grips better. Replacing a seat cover may be tricky, but it’s not as difficult as many believe it to be. We are here to walk you through the steps of changing out that old torn-up cover or simply upgrading to a newer one.

1.) The first step is to gather the tools you will need, which includes your old seat, a new seat cover like the one we chose from MotoSeat, a flat-head screwdriver, needle-nose pliers, scissors, and either a manual or air-powered staple gun with 1/4-inch staples.

2.) Start the process by prying up the old staples with your screwdriver and pulling them out of the seat to free up the old fabric. Once all of the staples are removed, pull off the old cover, flip the seat over and inspect the foam. If the foam does not have large holes and tears in it, then you should be able to reuse it. If not, companies like MotoSeat offer new seat foam to purchase.

3.) Now it’s time to start the install of your new seat cover. Covers like this one have a stitched front piece that slips over the front of the seat to help align the cover from the start. Once you have it on straight, flip the seat back over so the underside is facing up and put three staples next to each other on the top part of the cover. This will keep the cover in place while you work on the next steps.

4.) Next you are going to continue with stapling the cover to the seat in succession. Every 6 inches, pull out and backward on the cover, and install two or three staples on the left and the right side of the seat evenly as you progress downward. This will help pull out the wrinkles in the new seat cover as you continue with the job. Flip the seat over and inspect the cover each time you install a new set of staples for wrinkles and smooth them out, but pulling back more on the cover as you go along. It’s okay to remove and reinstall staples to help pull the cover tighter.

5.) Once you get to the rear of the seat, the job can get tricky. To get the cover to contour to the different curves and rounded edges of the seat, you may have to make waves in the fabric as you install a new staple every half inch or so. This will keep the top of the cover smooth and wrinkle-free as you move around each rounded edge. Once you have completed the rear of the seat, go ahead and install a staple all the way around the whole seat every inch. Now the cover will not shift around and be secure on your seat.

6.) Now that you have successfully secured the new seat cover onto your seat with all of the wrinkles smoothed out, go ahead and take scissors and trim off the excess fabric on the underside of your seat. Now that the job is complete, you can install your freshly covered seat back onto your machine and take it for a ride.

SADDLEMEN
Stock Replacement Covers, $89.99
Saddlemen makes seat covers for a wide range of machines, including on- and off-road vehicles. Their ATV seat covers are made with very durable
materials and come in multiple colors for your machine. If they do not offer the cover for your machine, the customer can send in their old cover, and they can make a pattern from it. Custom pricing varies for the replacement cover price. For more information, call (800) 397-7709.

FACTORY EFFEX
All Grip Seat Cover, $59.95
Factory Effex has been a big staple in the seat-cover industry. They make a range of smooth and gripper seats for multiple ATVs. This seat cover is very grippy so you don’t have to worry about sliding around on the seat as much. The material is strong and will last for years of riding and weather abuse. The covers come in different color options as well to match your machine. For more info, call (661) 255-5611 or go to www.factoryeffex.com.

FOURWERX CARBON
Wave Seat Cover, $144.99
For the enthusiast who likes to ride hard or race, this seat cover is your best bet for seat traction. It has a gripper top with a formed foam-based “Wave” top. The ridges provide enhanced grip from sliding around on your seat, and the gripper top adds to that effect. It has a very durable construction. FourWerx mainly manufactures parts and seat covers for racing ATVs. For more information, call (262) 501-9696 or go to www.fwcarbon.com.

COVERS OFFERED BY BRAND/MACHINE

Can-Am
–DS 450
–Renegade 500, 800, 1000

Honda
–TRX 90, 250 R, 300 EX, 450 R

KTM
–XC 450, 525
–SX 450, 525

Suzuki
–LTR 450
–LTZ 50, 90

Yamaha
–YFZ 450, 450 R
–Raptor 700

MOTOSEAT
Standard Replacement Cover, $49.99
MotoSeat makes a durable replacement seat cover for a range of ATVs. The material used will last a long time and comes in multiple colors to match your machine. They also sell replacement seat foam for $69.95. If you are interested in their products, call (951) 677-8325 or go to www.motoseat.com.